Piano action



C. FARNY Jan. 20, 1942.

PIANO"ACTION Filed Oct. 28, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 C. FARNY Jan. 20,1942.

PIANO ACTION Filed Oct. 28, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ('nm f/mvxBY Patented Jan. 20, 1942 PIANO ACTION Cyril Farny, St. Charles, 111.,assignor to The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, Cincinnati, Ohio,

a corporation Application October 28, 1940, Serial No. 363,151

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a piano action which may be applicable to anystringed instrument, and parts of which may be applicable to a pianoaccordion.

One feature of the invention resides in constructing the flanges of apiano action, or an action applicable to other musical instruments, ofmetal or a similar material, for example, die cast zinc, and furtherwherein a boss may be formed thereon for securing and interlocking themon their mountings such as the action rail, in place of the usual wodenflanges secured thereto by the conventional screws.

Wherein the usual screws are employed for securing the conventionalwooden flange to a wooden rail, they become loose and must continue tobe tightened in order to keep the action in good condition. This is dueto the swelling and shrinking of the wooden rail, as well as the Woodenflanges. By die casting or otherwise forming a metal flange having anintegrally protruding boss, the flange may be secured either to a woodenor a metal rail by any suitable means, such as a spring clip or speednut, without the use of screws. This results in a permanent and fixedconnection which will eliminate the difliculties above mentioned. Afurther advantage of this arrangement is the saving in material and timein installation, as well as maintenance in regulation and adjustment.

Another feature of the invention resides in combining the usual twoseparate wooden flanges for the hammer butt and damper lever into adouble one-piece flange provided with a single locking boss, therebysaving the expense and labor of installation resultingfrom the use ofthe conventional separate wooden flanges with their separate screwsrequiring precision in installation and constant tightening formaintaining adjustment. Such double metal flange permits of definiteadjustment between the hammer butt and damper lever since it may bereadily bent to proper adjustment and remain in such adjusted position.This is a feature not available in the use of either a double or asingle wooden flange of this character.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a metalor angle iron action rail in place of the conventional wooden rail, saidaction rail receiving and supporting the wippen flange as well as thebutt and damper flanges, or it may be in two sections, the lower sectionsupporting the wippen flange while the upper section supports the buttand damper flanges.

Such metal or angle iron rail or rails would have the advantage ofproviding a more stable support for the action unaffected by atmosphericconditions, rendering the action more permanent and rugged, facilitatingassembly and eliminating adjustments.

A still further feature of the invention resides in such an actionwherein the wippen assembly and the hammer butt assembly, as well as thedamper lever, are formed of metal or the like, such as die cast zinc,resulting in elimination of the conventional assembly parts thereof andavoiding variations due to swelling, shrinking and the problem ofbreakage.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from theaccompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

Fig. 1 is a transverse section of an action unit showing the parts inarrested position. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the wippen flange.Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the butt and damper flange. Fig. 4 is aside elevational view of a modified form showing a wooden rail withseparate butt and damper flanges.

As illustrating one embodiment of the invention, and as applied to apiano action, the drawings show a keybed l0 having a key ll mountedthereon. Said key is connected by a finger link 12 with a strikingflnger l3 intermediate its ends. Said finger is pivotally connected to afinger flange l4 secured to a frame rail [5.

Mounted upon the usual action bracket Hi there is a lower or action rail[1 in the form of an angle iron. Immediately above the lower or actionrail and secured to the bracket, there is an upper or hammer rail [8which is in the form of an angle iron with one flange thereof extendingforwardly towards the string plate. Wippen I9 is pivctally connectedwith the action rail through the wippen flange 20 in position to beengaged by the striking finger l3. The wippen I9 is provided with a boss2| to which a jack 22 is pivoted at 23. Said wippen is also providedwith a recess indicated at 24 for receiving a spring 25 bearing againstthe head of said jack. At one end of the wippen there is formed a socketfor receiving the tie rod 26 and back check rod 21. At the opposite endof the wippen there is a socket for receiving a damper spoon 28.

The wippen l9, including the boss 2|, recess 24 and the several socketsabove mentioned, is formed of a single integral piece of metal or likematerial, such as die cast zinc. Similarly, the wippen flange 20 isformed of metal or the like to provide a seat for its association withthe action rail I1, and with a stud 29 adapted to extend through a holein the action rail to receive a spring clip or speed nut 30. Also thejack 22 is formed of metal or the like, such as die cast zinc, includingits head with the spring engaging boss and the projection providing itspivotal support.

Secured to the upwardly extending flange portion of the hammer rail l8there is a double action butt and damper flange 3| similarly formed ofmetal or the like with a boss 32 extending through an opening in therail and locked thereon by a clip or speed nut 33.

A similarly formed metal damper lever 34 is pivoted to one end of theflange 3|, as indicated at 35, said lever being formed with a head 36providing a socket for receiving a damper rod 31, while the lower end isrecessed at 38 to receive a cushion engageable by the spoon 28.

The hammer butt 39 is pivoted at 40 to the butt end of the flange 3|. Itis formed of metal or the like, such as die cast zinc, to include in oneintegral piece a hammer socket 4!, a button shank 42 and a button 43.The usual hammer lever 44 is mounted and supported in the socket 4| andcarries a hammer 45.

Whereas the action, as herein illustrated, embodies separate lower andaction rails, the action rail may comprise a single angle ironstructure, or, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the conventional wooden anglerail Ila may be employed in place of the angle iron rail or rails, theflanges being secured thereto by bosses locked with clips or speed nuts,as above described. Wherein a single butt and damper flange is employed,as shown in Fig. 4, a. separate butt flange 31a and a separate damperflange 3|b may be substituted therefor.

In each instance, such flanges are formed of metal with the integralboss extending through a hole provided in the rail to receive the clipor speed nut.

Whereas the flanges above described have herein been illustrated asapplied to a piano action, they may be similarly used in actions forother stringed instruments or accordions.

The invention claimed is:

1. A piano action having a supporting frame including a rail to whichmovable elements of the action are adapted to be pivotally connected, ametal flange for pivotally connecting one of said elements to itssupporting rail, said flange having a surface seatable on said rail, abifurcated end formed on said flange spaced from the rail for receivingand pivotally supporting therein the said element, a boss integrallyformed with said flange and extending from the seating portion thereofthrough an aperture formed in the rail to receive the same, said bossextending through the rail and protruding beyond the opposite sidethereof from that upon which the flange is seated, and a locking membersecured to the protruding end of said boss and bearing against said railto rigidly secure the flange thereto.

2. A piano action having a supporting frame including a rail, a hammerbutt and damper lever, means for actuating said hammer butt and damperlever in timed relation, a one piece metal flange adapted to pivotallysupport both the hammer butt and damper lever upon said rail, said onepiece metal flange having a transversely curved shank portion seatableon said rail, an inwardly formed boss extending from the seated side ofthe shank portion through an aperture of said rail to extend beyond theother side thereof, a locking member engageable with the extended end ofsaid boss and the opposite side of said rail from said flange forrigidly interlocking said flange and rail, bifurcated portions formedintegrally with the shank portion of said flange and extending fromopposite ends thereof beyond the opposite sides of said rail, one ofsaid bifurcated portions being positioned to receive said damper levertherein and the other bifurcated portion being adapted to receive thehammer butt therein, and pivotal connections between said bifurcatedportions and said damper lever and hammer butt respectively.

, CYRIL FARNY.

